Improvement in devices for operating doors



S. S. SPEAR.

DEVICES FOR OPERATING DOORS.

N0. 194,058 Patented. Aug.14,1877.

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N.FETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGHAPNER WASHINGTON, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL s. SPEAR, OF SOUTH wEYMoUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICES FOR OPERATING DOORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 194,058, dated August14, 1877; application filed June 9, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. SPEAK, of SouthWeymouth, Norfolk county, State of Massachusetts, have made an inventionof Improvements in Shutter or Door Workers, of which the following is aspecification:

The drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figures 1 and2, elevations of my device as applied to a car-door, with the outerprotecting-plate removed.

In these said drawings, A represents what may be considered as theframe-work of the rear end of a street'railway car, while B rep .resentsthe sliding door thereof.

To one side of the said door B-preferably the inner side-I pivot, byhorizontal studs a. or a, two peripherally-grooved wheels or rollers, 00, these studs and rollers being practically in the same plane, andapplied in use to a metallic plate secured. to the door.

To one side of each roller I dispose an upright bar, D or D, which issupported and pivoted at-bottom by and upon a horizontal ,pivot, b orI), applied to the car-floor, the upper end of each bar terminating at apoint in close proximity to the grooved periphery of the next adjacentroller, and about in a horizontal plane with the axis of the latter.

Upon the side of each wheel opposite the bars above named I dispose arod,- F or F, which is suspended from the top of the car frame byeyebolts a, or other means which permit of swinging or vibratory movements of each rod in consonance with a corresponding movement of thebars D D.

The lower end of each suspensory, F or F, is connected to the upper endof the next adja cent bar, D or D, by a chain or cord, G or G, whichpasses partially about the contiguous IIOllBI', as shown in thedrawings.

The door B may be steadied and guided in its movements in opening andclosing by irails H or H, applied to the floor and ceiling of the car;but this is not absolutely essential.

The bars D D, suspensories F F, cords or chains Gr G, and rollers O Gconstitute the support of the door B, and, owing to the tilting orvibratorymovement of the said bars and rotary movements of the rollers,I reduce the friction upon the door to a very small sum, and thisfriction may be neutralized or overbalanced by an overhanging weight, 1,

applied to the lower part of one of the bars D,

so that the door will close automatically. if desired, and the force ormomentum with which the door closes may be increased or diminished bychanging the altitude of the said weight.

When the door is full open, as shown in Fig. 2 of the accompanyingdrawings, it is essential or necessary to the perfect operation of themechanism that the bars D D and rods F F shall be practically parallel,and shall stand vertically, or, at least, shall not incline in adirection opposite to that they assume when the door is partially orwholly closed.

Under a proper arrangement and adjustment of the mechanism abovedescribed, the door, as it reaches its closed position, should come to abearing on the threshold of the door or the car-floor, and if it isdesired to exert a slight stop or drag on the door when in this closedposition, to prevent accidental opening, the bars D D should beshortened somewhat from the length shown in the accompanying drawings,so that the upper end of one or both shall bring up against theperiphery of the adjacent roller, and abut against it with slightpressure.

The suspensories or rods F F and chains or cords G G may be one and thesame either arod or chain butI prefer the arrange ment before described.

A door supported and operated as explained moves, in opening andclosing, with slight sound and friction. Very little exertion isrequired to open it, and none, if so desired, to close it.

Though I have described my invention as applied to car-doors, I do notlimit its use to such application, as it will be useful in otherinstances-for example in supporting draws of railway or other bridges,&c. I

I claim- 1. The combination, with the door B, of the rollers (J G, barsD D, and the rods F F, the whole being substantially as and for purposesstated.

2. The weight I, in combination with the bar D or D, substantially asand for purposes stated.

' SAMUEL S. SPEAK.-

Witnesses:

F. CURTIS, W. E. BOARDMAN.

